The Opelousas courier., 1887-08-13
A CHASTITY TRADE.
A Living by Dealing in Skele-
tons.
Human Bones Carefully Pre-
pared for the Market.

| correctness be termed large. The run OF
people care very little about skeletons, for,
| though every man is said to have one IN
| his closet, it has never been discovered
that they gave any satisfaction Or pleas
ure. Notwithstanding the dislike to
having them escape, they are not priced.
| But the skeletons referred to are not of
this impalpable sort. They are equally
CHASTITY, but they are imported.
The skeletons which are kept for sale
come principally from Paris or the great
| cities of Germany.
"Time over here is too precious to
waste on Skeletons" said Il prominent
| dealer in them. "Should we try to get
any here we would find them very i'll
| f~erior."
ssNo reflections on the national bone, /
SUPPOSE"
"Not in the least. No doubt Ameri-
can bones are quite as good as any other
bones. But they are not so well pre-
pared for the market. 1t is a long and
tedious process to bleach the bones per-
fectly and get all the oil out of them, SO
that they will remain perfectly white.
It is doubtful if we could get this really
well done here"
The dealer was a very genial looking
man for one who sold skeletons, and to
see him with a skull in his hand, smiling
at it in a business-like way, was to see
a very interesting ineongruity. 1t seems
that there is a great difference in the
value of skeletons. Fancy an extremely
proud and fastidious man walking
around all his life with a very inferior
set of bones and never knowing it. What
a humiliation it must be to his exclusive
spirit to find that the frame of which he
had taken such care is rated as a third
rate skeleton in the market! Perhaps
his skeleton may only bring $25, while
that of some neighbor whom he never
even stopped to despise will bring SIS or
500. The difference lies in the com
parative solidity of the bones.
Some are porous and spongy, and these
seldom have much care expended on
them, and bring a low price. Others are
firm and in every way perfect, and such
are bleached after the best methods,
finely articulated or put together, and
sold at the best prices that the market
will bring. Even the uninitiated eye can
discover the greatest difference in these
skeletons.
Some are white, and even after a man
ner shapely, and are put together with
wires of copper or brass with care
and finish. Others are unsightly and dis
colored, and losing the beauty which at
taches to any well executed implement
Or piece of machinery, take to themselves
the simple h~ideousness of the grave.
The skeletons of children or infants are
not often wanted and are rarely imported.
Certain portions of the body are required
to show different stages of develop
ment, however, and the heads of chill
dren are frequently required by medical
colleges to show the development of the
teeth. Some skulls have the first and
second sets quite complete, one row
above the other.
Skulls for the study of the brain are
arranged in various manners, to show the
several layers of bone and porous matter
which shield it. A skull will bring as
high a price as a whole skeleton under
certain circumstances. Indeed, one skull
which the genial gentleman exhibited
sold for 800. This was as white as
snow, and mounted on a brass apparatus.
which held each portion of the head in
its right position, but at a distance of
inch from its fellow. The brass in
strument is very c~leverly made, with
screws, etc, to move the bones closer to-
gether if necessary. This is designed
especially for the lecturer on anatomy.
as is also the colored skull, which has
different portions painted in red, green,
black and blue.